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Tract Number 198
Audio download at bottom of page
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LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY
This most wonderful request came from the lips of the disciples when they beheld Jesus, as He ceased praying. We are at once impressed with the thought of the mighty transforming power of prayer; and the influence that emanates from a prayerful life.
These disciples were very familiar with Jesus’ habit of going alone to commune with God. He would send the multitudes away, and retire to a secluded place alone in prayer, then He could return and perform some special work of the kingdom of God among men.
Forty days and nights in the wilderness, then He came forth a victor over the powers of temptations of the world, flesh, and the devil (a divine preparation for His ministry). After an all night prayer, He selects the twelve to be with Him, that He might teach them how to become fishers of men, and represent Him in the earth when He would be no longer with them in person. Also He gives the great sermon on the mount after teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing ALL manner of sickness and diseases among the people, and His fame spread abroad ...great multitudes came to Him from all regions.
Jesus placed great emphasis on secret prayer, and proved its efficiency in the work of the kingdom of God; no wonder his followers were so deeply interested as to request of Jesus, "Lord teach us to pray." There is no doubt, we that love the Lord have a shallow feeling as to the impulse that prompted this request. Have we not often felt surging up in our soul this desire to know a deeper prayer life?
Lord teach us must be more than a momentary emotion, or a casual desire, we would all like many blessings from God, if He would drop them into our hands with little or no labor on our part, but how many are willing to sit or kneel at the feet of the Great Teacher on prayer, and follow Him through, dark nights till break of day, battling with the powers of hell and ungodly spirits of men. Rising a great while before day, are we willing to dismiss ourselves from light frivolous friends and keep an appointment in prayer with Jesus? We cannot learn to pray in the constant presence of the saints of God, we must go apart with God in secret communion to draw from His presence grace and power to live at His feet, and be a blessing to someone who stands in need of divine help.
Let us look for awhile and see the first principles of prayer which Jesus set before the disciples. They had seen men standing on corners in long robes, praying to be seen of men (many do yet) but Jesus had convicted them of a far different idea of prayer.
In Matthew 6: 6, He tells them, "But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut THY door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret; and Thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly etc. Jesus plainly teaches that we are not to pray to be praised of man, or to seek oratory in speech and such things as the carnal mind seeks.
In Luke 11: 1, 2, Jesus tells them of the true approach to prayer--when ye pray, say Our Father, (Matthew 6: 6 says, After this manner pray ye). Now He had convinced them that He was the Son of God, and they were His brethren, so He endeavors to teach them the close relationship they have with Him in God. I trust that we can catch the tenderness of approach in prayer to God that is included or expressed in the words, Our Father.
Bringing these men out of Judaism was no earthly job. God must be the center of their praying, to break through the former teachings of the law, and traditions of men. How needful that they learn to pray under Jesus’ example and instructions. If they can grasp the true conception of God as a father to them as well as to Jesus, this will establish the true relationship that He feels with them. Our Father, mine and yours. This deeply touches the human first, to open up the emotions to the divine relationship between them and Jesus. This Father we approach, is heavenly, above earthly fathers. His name is to be hallowed, held sacred, exalted, superior in name and character, and power and care for us. Oh if God’s children could learn to approach Him as He truly designed we should, how rich in our soul we would be today, instead of feeling like orphans and beggars.
Thy kingdom come; not a millennium (1000 years reign on earth) but the spiritual kingdom or power of God to come within us, is the prayer he wanted to teach them. Thy will be done; no use to pray with a will of your own. Ours must be lost in His, or prayer is a vain repetition. As in Heaven; so in our hearts here. Give us daily the needs of soul and body, yet if we seek first God’s righteousness, all else will be sure. Matthew 6: 33.
If we are to expect to receive forgiveness from God, we must first forgive. We can’t get riled up and carnally peeved, because your will is crossed, and hold bitterness and expect God to answer your prayer, that’s mockery. Keep us away from temptation, and give us power over evil.
Jesus never gave this as a prayer to pray as we hear it today, but as a model or foundation for our approach unto God as we need to pray.
There is far more to a prayer life than family worship or a public prayer in a meeting or at a sick bedside etc. Prayer is work, it is definite effort or fervent move God-ward, a divine preparation to meet life’s issues. If we are not decided to learn of Jesus to pray, there is no use to ever profess to serve God or try to be a Christian, it cannot be done. A few words uttered in haste, using God’s name as a cover will never give heart satisfaction or any victory over sin or life’s daily trials.
No doubt about the deep and pungent impressions that the prayer life of Jesus made upon the lives of the disciples. A few of the expressions they used will enable us to see in a measure, how they felt. They returned from a preaching tour, and exclaimed "even the devils are subject unto us, in thy name" again they were caught in a storm at sea, as He spoke to the winds and waves, "Peace be still" they exclaimed "What manner of man is this? that even the winds and the sea obey Him." Again we hear them say, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way? and many were the things He said and did that buried deep in their minds and hearts. No wonder when He left the world, He bade them go back to Jerusalem and WAIT for the Holy Ghost enduement of power to witness for Him. If we could only have a look into that upper room and see them waiting on God with all their hearts, we feel sure they confided in one another their carnal acts of the past, and humbly confessed the unbelief and selfish ideas they had, but now their hearts were filled with expectancy of the promise of Jesus. We have no example of them praying before HE left them, but now they were learning to pray, out of a heart felt desire and anticipation of that glorious expectation. "Power from on high" they had at last arrived at the answer, to their request.
Dear ones, can we not find a promise that will take us in the upper room, in a heart searching time of prayer, yes, you may go alone, even as Jesus did and pray till angels minister strength to your soul. He holds out the same promise of power, and oh, how much it is needed. We sit back in self-complacency and fleshly ease and comfort of plenty, even luxury, and wonder why we are so far apart in spirit. Let’s stop pulling apart and get close to the Lord and get so filled with His love and so given over to the Holy Ghost, that we will forget we were ever divided in cliques over child talk and differences. It is a fact we cannot overlook. We need to get sin out of the way, then surrender ALL and let God pour out His Holy Spirit upon our souls. God can’t use us unless we give ourselves over to Him, a clean vessel fit for the Master’s use.
If we expect to have the spirit of prayer, we must be filled with His Spirit. We are too satisfied with a little bit of religion. God stir us, and shake us out of our religious garbs, and our preconceived ideas and traditions. We can’t set our light by mother and father. If theirs was the old-time kind that made them pure in the blood, let’s hold to that, but ours must come from the same Saviour, but listen, we must go a little farther. God moves on in truth and light so must we increase in grace and power, and walk with Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This power is indispensable if we expect to triumph over sin and self in these days. Are you crying to God to teach you to pray? Yield to Him. He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Prayer changes things, but it must first change you and I. Lord, teach us to pray.
S. E. Bowie
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